Marketers are creating video content to support the new buyer journey. Most are seeing ROI improve as a result, with 70 percent reporting videos convert better than other content formats. Goal completions are the ultimate campaign payoff, but companies are profiting from other results, such as stronger engagement.

One of our customers, a document management solutions company, started weaving video into its content strategy and saw significantly more on-site engagement.

Content analytics reports show the bounce rate for video blogs is 34 percent lower than the rest of the site on average – a stat that proves the format’s power in keeping people on pages and getting them tuned into what companies are saying.

Quick tips on targeted topics engage viewers better

This client’s video marketing strategy was a great complement to its blog content, which was already bringing a steady flow of traffic to the site. It provides viewers with short and digestible takeaways that captured their attention and got them to click deeper into the site.

Here’s a breakdown of the winning video formula:

One-minute videos. This seems short, but it’s a manageable length for busy consumers, and B2B decision makers in particular. Studies show the majority of viewers tune out if a video is longer than two-minutes anyway.

Answers and tips. The video scripts are built around frequently asked questions to give prospects the answers they’re looking for online.

Clear takeaways and calls to action. At the end of the video, the company gives viewers a clear next-step and a pathway to learn more about its services if they’re interested.

Measuring video ROI – engagement and beyond

Engagement is a term we throw around to discuss newer formats like social media, graphics and video. It can feel like a soft metric, but it’s an important one to track and measure because it means people are actually paying attention to the resources you create for them.

Video metrics that indicate engagement growth include:

Bounce rate: As discussed above, a low bounce rate means visitors are staying on the page and clicking around to other content.

Time on page: You want to see a time on page that’s longer than the video itself, meaning viewers are watching the clip in its entirety … and then some, as they check out the rest of the content there.

However, you can go beyond engagement metrics to additionally measure how many viewers click-through to conversion-focused landing pages, request more information about the company or return to the site to watch other productions.

Web video is simultaneously becoming a more sophisticated marketing tool – and one that’s increasingly accessible. Small and large companies, B2Bs and B2Cs alike, are creating original videos to captivate their target audiences and move beyond one-dimensional marketing.

Lauren Kaye

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.